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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #696

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#696) — August 20, 2026

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“Lock in the London clubs first, but be careful — one word on this grid looks like it belongs there and does not. Once you pull that trap word out, the rest of the grid gets easier to read.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for August 20, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 ARSENALNorth London giants who play at the Emirates Stadium.
2 BAGWELLJeff Bagwell, Houston Astros first baseman and Hall of Famer.
3 BIGGIOCraig Biggio, Houston Astros second baseman and Hall of Famer — Bagwell's longtime teammate.
4 CHELSEA DAGGERThe Fratellis track that Chicago Blackhawks fans have heard after every home goal — nothing to do with Chelsea FC.
5 CRYSTAL PALACESouth London club nicknamed the Eagles.
6 FULHAMWest London club who play at Craven Cottage beside the Thames.
7 FULLFull count — the baseball term for a 3-ball, 2-strike situation, not a soccer reference.
8 HARDHard count — a quarterback's cadence trick to draw the defense offside.
9 HOWLGoal song for an NHL team — the wolf imagery fits a franchise whose identity leans into that theme.
10 LITHIUMNirvana's track used as a goal song by an NHL franchise — the grunge connection makes it a crowd favourite.
11 MOONWarren Moon, Hall of Fame quarterback who starred for the Houston Oilers.
12 OLAJUWONHakeem Olajuwon, the Houston Rockets center who won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.
13 PITCHPitch count — the running total of pitches a baseball pitcher has thrown; not the playing surface.
14 SHOUTThe Tears for Fears classic repurposed as an NHL goal celebration anthem.
15 SILENTSilent count — a snap count used by offenses in loud stadiums when verbal signals are drowned out.
16 TOTTENHAMArsenal's North London rivals, based at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint These four clubs all play their home games inside the M25.
See Group LONDON SOCCER CLUBS
See WordARSENAL
See WordTOTTENHAM
See WordCRYSTAL PALACE
See WordFULHAM
See Hint Legends who made Houston fans cheer across different arenas.
See Group HOUSTON SPORTS STARS, HISTORICALLY
See WordMOON
See WordBAGWELL
See WordOLAJUWON
See WordBIGGIO
See Hint Each one pairs with a word that referees and coaches use to track the game.
See Group CAN COME BEFORE "COUNT"
See WordFULL
See WordHARD
See WordPITCH
See WordSILENT
See Hint The home crowd hears these tracks right after the lamp lights up.
See Group NHL GOAL SONGS
See WordCHELSEA DAGGER
See WordLITHIUM
See WordHOWL
See WordSHOUT
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 CHELSEA DAGGER Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly reading this as a Chelsea FC reference — a London soccer club — but the puzzle is using it as a music title tied to a North American hockey tradition, not English football.
2 PITCH Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing the playing surface at a soccer ground, but here it's used in a sports context where counting matters — not the field itself.
3 FULL Tap to see why this word traps.
You're likely thinking of full time in a soccer match, but the puzzle is using it in a different sport entirely, where counting is central to the game.
4 MOON Tap to see why this word traps.
You might read this as a lyrical or celestial image connecting to the songs group, but it's a person's surname tied to a specific city's sports history.

NYT Sports Connections answers for August 20, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y LONDON SOCCER CLUBS · Yellow · easiest
  • ARSENAL
  • TOTTENHAM
  • CRYSTAL PALACE
  • FULHAM

ARSENAL, TOTTENHAM, CRYSTAL PALACE and FULHAM are all Premier League clubs based in London. The trap is that CHELSEA DAGGER sounds like it belongs here — Chelsea FC is also a London club — but CHELSEA DAGGER is a song, not a team.

G HOUSTON SPORTS STARS, HISTORICALLY · Green · easy
  • MOON
  • BAGWELL
  • OLAJUWON
  • BIGGIO

MOON, BAGWELL, OLAJUWON and BIGGIO are all iconic Houston sports figures — Warren Moon (Oilers/NFL), Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio (Astros/MLB), and Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets/NBA). The group spans three different Houston franchises across four decades.

B CAN COME BEFORE "COUNT" · Blue · medium
  • FULL
  • HARD
  • PITCH
  • SILENT

FULL, HARD, PITCH and SILENT can all precede 'count' — full count, hard count, pitch count and silent count. The group spans multiple sports: full count and pitch count are baseball terms, while hard count and silent count come from American football.

P NHL GOAL SONGS · Purple · hardest
  • CHELSEA DAGGER
  • LITHIUM
  • HOWL
  • SHOUT

CHELSEA DAGGER, LITHIUM, HOWL and SHOUT are all NHL goal songs — music blasted through the arena the moment the home team scores. CHELSEA DAGGER by The Fratellis is the Chicago Blackhawks' famous goal song, and is the biggest trap in the puzzle because of its Chelsea FC association.

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